The following is from an actual article written by a veterinarian out of B.C Canada. He is an advocate of feeding pets the natural way and I agree wholeheartedly with him. For all the neighsayers please keep your comments to yourself ( you know who you are ). I am interested though in honest comments and suggestions on how you feed your pets naturally, whether with wholesome ingredients or if you make your own recipes, as I do.

If you would like to know the source of this article please let me know and I will provide it too you.

"Dog and Cat food is a pretty controversial topic What is best to feed our pet? Is it safe?

Raw...Good or Bad?

There are a tonne of opinions out there, so I'd like to add a little common sense.

First. Diet is KEY to your dog and cat's health. Of all the things that you do to PREVENT disease,
the food that you feed them is MOST important.

Is 'Veterinary Approved' Food the Best? No

The medical diets have their place for specific diseases, such as dissolving urinary crystals, BUT they are not the best diets for the long-term health of your pet. Most of the Commercial dog and cat foods have a carbohydrate (such as corn) as the first ingredient.

Huh? Can you imagine yourself staying healthy by living off of ground corn?

Or How about your cat- she is an obligate carnivore meaning she NEEDS animal protein
to survive. YET so many of the diets have CARBS as the first ingredient.

WHY? They are CHEAP. It comes down to the almighty dollar. It's alot less expensive to make pet food with carbohydrates as the first ingredient, than animal protein.

So WHAT can you do?

Make some of your pet's food at home. At least once a week I make Lucy, our beagle, a stew-
1/2 meat, 1/4 vegetables, and 1/4 carbohydrate.

Feed some Raw- I give Lucy pre-packaged frozen raw patties once or twice a week.

In feeding commercial kibble follow these guidelines:

1.Ingredients are listed in descending order. The first ingredient should be an animal based protein.

2.When selecting a commercial food for your animal companion, make sure the label has an "AAFCO guarantee," preferably one that references "feeding tests" or "feeding protocols" rather than Nutrient Profiles.

3.Avoid foods that list by-products. (Avoid Meat, Bone, Fish and Chicken Meal) These rendered products are the most inexpensive sources of animal protein. They are not a reliable source of nutrition for your animal.

4.Avoid those that list the food fractions - i.e. wheat middlings or corn gluten instead of the whole grain. These ingredients are leftovers from the human food processing and don't provide the best nutrition.

5.Avoid generic or store brands. These may be repackaged rejects from the big manufacturers, and generally contain cheaper and poorer quality ingredients.

6.Check the expiration date to ensure freshness. When you open a bag of dry food, give it a sniff- if it smells rancid, return it immediately.

10.Essential fatty acids must be added - of utmost importance for allergies, arthritis and cancer prevention.

11.Additional antioxidants, such as Vit E, Vit C and flavonoids.

12.Select Natural brands. These are usually better than most. Several brands are now preserved with Vitamins C and E instead of chemical preservatives (such as BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin and propyl gallate). While synthetic preservatives may still be present, the amounts will be less."

marko

March 13th, 2009, 03:54 PM

Not the friendliest first post pamperedpet.

Yes - please cite the source of this article

Please also read the rules of our forum from my signature and know that there is no promotion allowed here.

Please know that the Admins, mods and members of this forum appreciate friendliness and welcome to our forum.

Marko
ADMIN

cell

March 13th, 2009, 05:49 PM

I agree Marko
When the first comment made on a form demands removal of opinion on an opinion based article, without without citation or peer review, regardless of the degree of truth come off as trollish....

breeze

March 13th, 2009, 06:48 PM

IMO your introduction has a lot to be desired pamperedpet.

this community does give honest opinions and support each other regardless if we agree or not. and to ask members to hold their tongue, is just not right.